Janko Bugarski, also known as Jimmy Barka, has to leave his temporary job as a seasonal worker together with his girlfriend Ljilja. Without a job, he sets out with Ljilja into uncertainty. His mother, a poor washerwoman, cannot help him, and there are no jobs available in factories or companies. In order to make some money, Jimmy steals from workers at a construction site, and while fleeing from pursuers, he loses Ljilja. That's when the odyssey of Jimmy Barka begins. He meets a bar singer, Duška, becomes her lover, and learns to sing. Although he sings poorly, that doesn't stop him from traveling through small towns, singing at fairs, and in remote military garrisons. In one small town, he meets a young dental technician named Bojana, and with her, he goes to
Belgrade to compete in a young singers' competition. Instead of applause and affirmation, he is met with boos and insults. Jimmy runs away on his own, and on a ship, he once again encounters Ljilja, who makes a living by pickpocketing and feigning pregnancy. Both of them go to see the former construction site manager, Milutin, in an attempt to blackmail him: the young woman supposedly carries his child. Milutin discovers that he has been deceived. He tries to assault Ljilja, but Jimmy stops him. He attempts to kill Jimmy and mocks him in front of the workers. Humiliated and enraged, he takes his rifle and kills Jimmy. ==Cast==